topic Re: change nested block color in AutoCAD Forum

change nested block color

emacekLDT46 — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 12:17:47 GMT

I have nested blocks in an Xref that I'm trying to change the color of so I can print them in a lighter color. I am not able to go into the blocks and do any layer or color changes to it as these block are in multiple drawings.

What I'm trying to achieve is to change the color of the Xref's in my drawing to match my color tables lighter plotting colors - so the Xrefs are a light background.

Maybe there is away to make the Xref's plot lighter some other way other that changing the colors?

Re: change nested block color

imadHabash — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 12:36:21 GMT

>> Maybe there is away to make the Xref's plot lighter some other way other that changing the colors?

for plotting issue ... go to your layout tab , click inside your VP , type Layer command , from VP Color tab you can change all colors that you need and your Model layout origin colors will stay as is . Now prepare your VP scale as needed and start plotting .

Re: change nested block color

emacekLDT46 — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 12:37:57 GMT

that doesn't work with nested blocks..

Re: change nested block color

Kent1Cooper — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 12:42:56 GMT

If the Blocks don't contain objects with color overrides, you should be able to change the colors assigned to the Xref's Layers in the current drawing, to do what you want without changing anything in the Xref'd drawing itself. Set the VISRETAIN System Variable appropriately to preserve those changes in your current drawing.

Re: change nested block color

cadffm — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 12:49:54 GMT

The VP Layer has has nothing to do with the nestinglevel. Lines Blockreferences or nested Blockreferences, no matter!

Important is only: Color of Objects are ByLayer or not!?

And for this: XrefOverrides can force the 'ByLayer' properties, sometimes a good solution in equal cases.

Re: change nested block color

emacekLDT46 — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 12:50:20 GMT

Unfortunately, the blocks have layer 0 items, some items are color overridden, and the blocks have hatches..

Re: change nested block color

emacekLDT46 — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 12:52:20 GMT

Doesn't work in my case.

I have layer 0 items, color overrides, and hatches in my nested blocks..

Next..

Re: change nested block color

dbroad — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 13:10:05 GMT

The solution is to change the way you work. Layer 0 should be used primarily for block internals, allowing the entities within a block definition to float to whatever layer the block is inserted on. Blocks, other than those internal to other blocks should be placed on layers by function or display logic. Layering the source drawings, grants control to display variations within target drawings.

Rarely, if ever, use lineweight, linetype, transparency, or color overrides on objects. Control by layering is preferred. As others have written, change nested block objects to either bylayer or byblock property settings.

Re: change nested block color

emacekLDT46 — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 13:39:20 GMT

Doesn't answer my question

Re: change nested block color

RobDraw — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 13:43:23 GMT

@emacekLDT46 wrote:
I have layer 0 items, color overrides, and hatches in my nested blocks..

This is the source of the problems. If these overrides are used by others then you've got some work in front of you. Since there are differing requirements for layer properties by people using the XREF, these objects should have properties set to ByLayer.

Re: change nested block color

emacekLDT46 — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 13:51:20 GMT

I put the xref's on a separate layer, gave it a grey color and changed the transparency to 70.

Then I went into each Xref's layers and did the same, changed color and transparency.

Seems to have worked. I'll have to try this on other drawings and see if this consistently works..

It's too bad there isn't someway that AutoCAD can change those colors within those blocks.. I've had this problem everywhere I've worked and I can't go to the supplier or vendor and tell them to make their blocks the "correct" way.

Re: change nested block color

RobDraw — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 13:56:05 GMT

@emacekLDT46 wrote:
It's too bad there isn't someway that AutoCAD can change those colors within those blocks.. I've had this problem everywhere I've worked and I can't go to the supplier or vendor and tell them to make their blocks the "correct" way.

You have control over the content that you use. Modify the blocks to suit "your" standards and/or workflow. Content from external sources usually requires some rework to fit into various workflows.

Re: change nested block color

Kent1Cooper — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 14:14:00 GMT

@emacekLDT46 wrote:
Unfortunately, .... some items are color overridden....

That is unfortunate. I don't know of a way to overcome that, except either 1) to redefine the Blocks in the underlying Xref'd drawing, to eliminate the color overrides, or 2) to bind the Xref in so you can redefine the Blocks within the current drawing without the color overrides [or Explode them and remove the color overrides from the pieces]. The former would change things in all other "parent" drawings into which the same "child" drawing is Xref'd [but, done carefully, could be of no ill effect in them]. The latter would lose the benefits of Xrefing.

[Having Layer 0 elements and Hatch patterns wouldn't be part of the problem.]